The Green Hornet
Director: Michel Gondry
Starring: Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz
The Green Hornet is another name to add to the recent list of films about bumbling individuals who decide to become superheroes on a whim.
These films, such as Kick-Ass, feature characters with no real superpowers, who get through on heart and courage. The Be Kind, Rewind director Michel Gondry takes a comedic approach similar in tone to Superman III, especially in the opening scenes in which Seth Rogen portrays Britt Reid as a flamboyant party animal. It's only after the untimely death of his mean-spirited father (Tom Wilkinson) that the spoilt rich kid meets the man who makes his coffee every morning, the techno-whizz Kato.
Jay Chou takes on the role that Bruce Lee played in the 1960s TV serialisation and wisely decides to steer clear of aping the martial-arts legend. On discovering that Kato can make indestructible cars, Reid persuades his employee to embark on a series of vigilante adventures.
The indefatigable Reid decides that the only way to be a superhero and protect the innocent is to make the world believe you are a supervillain, in order to stop criminals using innocent bystanders as human shields. Yet the effort that goes into making the duo likeable and interesting characters is not expended on the villains of the piece, Christopher Waltz's crime lord Chudnofsky and David Harbour's slimy politician Scanion.
Cameron Diaz delivers her usual foxy-gal schtick as a secretary with a degree in criminology. The big disappointment is that Gondry doesn't bring the inventive creative visuals of his earlier films and music videos to this energetic, fun, but unoriginal adventure.
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
MATCH RESULT
Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2
Jazira: Mabkhout (52'), Romarinho (77'), Al Hammadi (90' 6)
Persepolis: Alipour (42'), Mensha (84')
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAlmouneer%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202017%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dr%20Noha%20Khater%20and%20Rania%20Kadry%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EEgypt%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E120%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EBootstrapped%2C%20with%20support%20from%20Insead%20and%20Egyptian%20government%2C%20seed%20round%20of%20%3Cbr%3E%243.6%20million%20led%20by%20Global%20Ventures%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
SPECS
Engine: 4-litre V8 twin-turbo
Power: 630hp
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: 8-speed Tiptronic automatic
Price: From Dh599,000
On sale: Now
US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
